of middlebtjry



V. D. SHOUP Jan. 27, 1931.

BOAT

Filed Aug. 4. 1950 Patented Jan. 27, 1931 vnnNoN D. SHOUP, on MIDDLEBURY, INDIANA, AssIeNoia TO' PIONEER MANUFAG- T TUBING 00., or MIDDLEBURY, INDIANA, n CORPORATION or INDIANA BOAT Application filed August 4, 1930. Serial No. 472,783.

My invention relates to boats, and especially to sheet metal boats of the flat bottom type. It is well known that flat bottom boats,

whether made of metal or wood, are not only diflicult to control in windy weather or rough water, but also the boat bottom at or adjacent the boat bow is caused to pound and slap heavily against the waves in rough or turbulent seas.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a fiat bottom boat having its front or bow end formed like a round bottom boat to effect better boat control and to obviate the pound or slap of the boat bottom in rough water.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sheet metal, flat bottom boat having its bow end formed to produce the effect of a round bottom boat to effect better boat control and to obviate the pound or slap of the boat bottom in rough water.

A third object is to provide a sheet metal flat bottom boat having a round bottom front or bow end, the sheet metal bottom whereof is cut to the desired shape without the use of dies or presses and manually fabricated into the boat structure without the use of expensive or complicated special tools. I

Still another object of the invention is to provide a sheet metal flat bottom boat which is provided with a rounded bottom adjacent the boat bow, and which still retains all of the merit possessed by the flat bottom boat type.

Other and more specific objects of the invention are mentioned and described herein.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevational View of one of the metal side wall plates of my improved boat;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the boat bottom plate when formed in one piece;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the other metal side wall plate of the boat;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the asq sembled boat showing the rounded bottom at the bow end thereof;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55of Fig. 4-; and

Fig; 6 is a sectiontaken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like Any suitable form of boat keel may also be incorporated in the boat structure, although not shown, such an element being usual in boats and constituting no part of the invention described herein Each sheet metal boat side has itslower marginal edge 7 curved upwardly from the straight lower edge 8 to the blunt front end 9 thereof. And the boat bottom plate 4, which as illustrated is made from a single sheet of ductile sheet metal, but which may be made of two or more pieces, has the opposed curvital convex marginal edges 10 which terminate at their forward ends in the bow bifurcation prongs 11 which include the convex marginal edges 12 which extend inwardly ofthe bottom body and fromthe apex 11 located on a longitudinal center line of the boat bottom.

In assembling the boat sides 2 and 3 with the boat bottom 4 themarginal edges 10 of the bottom plate4 are united to the marginal lower edges 8 of the boat sides by a hammered lock seam 13 including the curvical portions 7 of said side walls, the outer edges 14, which are an extension of marginal edges 10, of

the front end of the bottom plate, being upw wardly and inwardly bent to unite with the curvical edges 7 of the boat sides'to form a hammered lock seam at 15, same being an extension of the lock seam 13. Simultaneously the blunt ends9 of the side walls 2 and 3 are brought together into abutting relation, these operations causing the edges '12 of the prongs 11 to abut for their full length extend- 5 but COIlStltlltQS- no part of my invention.

' ing fromthe bifurcation apex 11 to and beneath the abutting side wall ends 9. The completion of the boat bow or prow is effected by the incorporation of a pair of opposed clamping plates or irons 16 and 17 between which the abutting side wall ends 9 I and the prongs 11, when bent into the described relation, are rigidly secured by a series of rivets, 18, saidclamping plates extending curvically from the upper edge of the abutting side wall ends 9 rearwardly and downwardly to and inclusive of the bifurcation apex 11.

I claim:

1. A flat bottom boat having a sheet metal bottom and sides, said boat bottom being longitudinally bifurcated at the bow end thereof, and the forward portion of the lower marginal edges of said boat sides being inclined upwardly to the bow end thereof, said bottom furcation prong sections being up wardly bent and having their outer marginal edges united with the inclined marginal edges of said boat sides, the front ends of said sides and the inner marginal edges of the boat bottom furcation prong sections being fastened together in alignment to form the boat bow.

2. A flat bottom boat having a sheet metal bottom and sides, said boat bottom being longitudinally bifurcated at the bow end thereof, and the forward portion of the lower marginal edges of said boat sides being inclined upwardly to the bow end thereof, said bottom furcation prong sections being upwardly bent and having their outer marginal edges united to the inclined marginal edges of said boat side by a lock seam, the front ends of said sides and the inner marginal edges of the boat bottom furcation prong sections being fastened together in alignment between curved clamping plates to form the boat bow.

A flat bottom boat having sheet metal sides and bottom, the front ends of the boat sides being narrowed upwardly and the front end ofthe boat bottom being cent-rally divided and upwardly bent and united with the marginal edges of the narrowed portionsof said boat sides to form a semi-rounded boat bottom adjacent the boat prow.

VERNON D. SHOUP. 

